Our imaginations and creativity thrived through our ability to create unique specialty items for that little Princess, Knight in Shining Armor, Queen, or King- We are “Forever and Always” on the hunt for a chic, unique, vintage item inspired in our eclectic yet simple collection. We carry out our creativity in our own home town with our own simple flare, love for our children, and grandchildren.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Last week we used our volunteer a day passes to take the kids to Disneyland. This was a very special trip because we took my nephew too! So of course I have to go completely overboard, and make shirts...and skirts...and sweaters (you get the idea)!

Below are my 2 kids with their clothing. Easton's shirt has an alligator (because he's obsessed with catching and wrangling alligators) with Mickey Mouse inside his mouth holding the alligators mouth open with one finger! London has a skirt with the London skyline on it, and Mary Poppins floating in from the Heavens....practicallly perfect in every way! Here is my Dad holding the kids before the Nemo submarine. You get a really good picture of Easton's shirt here. Now there is a disclaimer. My Mom and I were going to finish the details on the shirt in the car on the way, and of course, we forgot to bring needles. So we were searching, and even stopped to try to buy a sewing kit, and none of the little places we stopped had them, so these shirts were missing a few minor details....but I'm sure I'm the only one who noticed!

Here is our family picture. You can kind of see my sweater in this picture. I made the same skyline and Mary Poppins for the bottom of my sweater. I also madee twisty flowers with big pink bows to pin on the other side of the sweater.

So the Queen Grandma, and Mommy had matching, and it was so cool to match with my Daughter too! I absolutely love making these hand made items, and wish I had more time to do so!

Thank you everyone for following my blog! I would love to do a free printable, but want some kind of direction to head...so if you have any ideas please comment and let me know what you would like to see!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

As always, I'm not an "off the rack" kind of girl, so when it came time for Halloween, I knew there was not going to be a costume that you could just purchase on my kids! Since my Son is 4.5 now, he wanted to pick his own costume (even though I begged and pleaded with him to match his Sister). Easton chose to be a Ghostbuster. I thought about making my Daughter into the stay puft marshmallow man, or even a little ghost, but do I want to remember my Daughter as a little ghost....no! So, since he got to choose his costume, I figured I get to choose the other one right? So, London was a peacock. Both costumes were handmade or found partially handmade, and needed a little help....

Here they are sitting on our front porch with their pumpkins....and that pacificer (aka pappy) hardly leaves this little fiesty girls mouth!

When they were trick or treating, they held hands for bit (before London's hands got ridiculously sticky from her lolli pop). They may not have had matching costumes, but they still go together!

Here is my Daughters costume finished. I took a plain white onesie and stitched layers of circles cut from felt, circles cut from lace, and ruffles left from her skirt into a circle pattern on her chest. I then attached that skirt (on clearance from Forever 21) to the onesie. London's headband was wrapped with the matching fabrics, and then the Queen Grandma had a vintage hat in the perfect blue color with the netting and the leaves, and one of the peacock feathers I made with lace glued around it. I really feel like the headband made the costume (but I might be partial)! Her feather spray was made from cardboard wrapped with batting and blue felt fabric. I then stitched elastic to the spray and it became "wings" kind of.

Easton's costume took much less time stitching and cutting, but was just as fun to make. We found a tutorial here for the backpack. Essentially, you find a box that fits your child's dementions, then stuff a backpack inside the box and make the appropriate cuts for the straps to fit though. Then spray black, and attach all kinds of fun and interesting stuff to it. Easton's included: frozen dinner tray, RC car mini box, old garage door opener, tin tape (thanks to Daddy), a garden hose (thanks to Grandpa), and wires of all colors. If you visit At Second Street's blog, she really does show you exactly how to make this super cute (and easy enough for your child to help) costume. My Mom found his jumpsuit at the Thrift Store, and I stitched the ghostbuster symbol back on it.

Here's another cute picture of my little Ghostbuster!

And a close up of the backpack. Hot glue goes a long way in this project!!

And my Daughter trying to eat every piece of candy that she found! And if you noticed I personalized their candy buckets by using vinyl stickers of their names on their pumpkin buckets. Thanks Grandma for their buckets!!